Destiny's Change
by Burning Bunny Books
Summary: Jasper/Bella - Edward and Bella were a good couple. Good, but not perfect. Although he could sometimes make her happy, it often came with suffering. Surprisingly, there was somebody else. Somebody that nobody ever thought would complete Bella: Jasper. It was perhaps once destiny for Edward and Bella to be together. However, who says destiny can't change?
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Twilight.**

 **Preview:  
Jasper/Bella Edward and Bella were a good couple. Good, but not perfect. Although he could sometimes make her happy, it often came with suffering. Surprisingly, there was somebody else. Somebody that nobody ever thought would complete Bella. _Jasper._ It was perhaps once destiny for Edward and Bella to be together. However, who says destiny can't change?**

* * *

 _True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself._

 _It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations:_

 _It is seen with white hairs and is always young in the heart._

 _-Honore de Balzac_

* * *

 ** _DESTINY'S CHANGE_**

 ** _CHAPTER ONE_**

 _Bella's POV_

"Oh, come _on_ Edward!" I begged. We were in his room, sitting on his bed.

"Bella," he sighed. "You know that I won't do it. That I _can't_ do it."

"Why not?"

"You know why. I told you earlier." Dear God. Not this again.

"Everybody else our age do it."

"We're not like everybody else."

"Please," I murmured, lowering my voice. "For me? Let's try it once. Please. Just once." Leaning closer to him, I cupped his cheek with one hand, whilst the other snaked around his waist. Carefully, as to not scare him away, I met his lips with my own. Although he joined in, there was no passion, and he ended it after a few seconds. With his hands on my shoulders, he gently pushed me way. He was so irritatingly stubborn!

"No. We can't have sex. That's final."

"You actually did it again," I said, my voice wavering. "You're saying no again. I'm sick of it."

"It's for you. I don't want to hurt you, love." Really? Well, he was hurting me now. Maybe not on the outside, but it definitely was striking me on the inside.

"Don't call me 'love'. If you loved me, you'd do this for me. I know that you won't hurt me." I attempted to bring his lips to mine again, yet he turned his face away. Desperately, I touched his arm, trying to pull him closer, but to my surprise, he released me, and moved back.

Rejection. He was rejecting me.

"I do love you, but... I can't. I just can't." He noticed the hurt look on my face, and reached out to me, saying, "Darling, I didn't mean - "

"Don't touch me!" I hissed, swatting his arm away. In my head, I knew that I was probably acting ridiculous, but it really offended me. I simply wanted one thing from him, yet he would never give it to me. He made me feel cheap. I'd practically thrown myself at him and he didn't want me. I bet that I wasn't 'sexy' enough to meet his standards.

Of course. There were plenty of beautiful girls that would be more than willing to be with him. I couldn't even compare.

Was there something so wrong with wanting to be like a normal couple? Usually, guys are the ones that want sex. Every time that he rejected me, it was a huge blow. As well as putting me down, it also humiliated me. It wasn't that I didn't love him. Honestly, I did. It's just that I yearned for his body too. It's selfish of me, I know, but I couldn't help it.

"Bella..."

"Just leave me alone," I choked. Oh no. Tears were threatening to make an appearance, and that definitely wouldn't have been a pretty sight. Shoving myself off of the bed, I rushed out of the room. I sensed him coming up behind me. "Don't follow me." He continued to do so anyway. "Don't," I warned. "I told you to leave me alone!" I screamed at him, dashing down the stairs, a huge scene being made, until I bolted out of the door.

If he wanted to, he could have easily caught up to me. Although I was running as fast as was capable of me, Edward would always be able to catch up. Obviously. He's a vampire. Despite his super speed, I needed to get away. I was making my way to my truck, until I realised something. Edward was the one to drive us here earlier in his car. My truck waited for me at home.

As I came to a stop, the wind whipped against my face, with rain smashing down on me, and - Oh, great. I could feel the waterworks running. I must've looked like a mess. Salty tears mixed with the rain, which moistened my face, ruining my mascara. The black mess dribbled down my cheeks. I had red eyes, a bad attitude, and my hair was now drenched, sticking to my face. I kicked the damp stones on the ground. Could things get any worse?

"Bella?" a voice called. Apparently they could. I couldn't even talk to Edward right now. He always did this to me. Always made me feel ashamed, and unwanted. Always! I was so tired of how he acted. Turning around, I shouted against the noise.

"Don't come near me Edward! I don't want to talk to - "

"Bella, calm down, it's me."

"Jasper," I gasped, fear striking me at being seen like this. How could I mistake him for my boyfriend?

"What's going on?" he asked. Biting my lip, I glanced up at his worried expression, and then back at the house. Edward stood at the window upstairs, looking down on me, with furrowed eyebrows. He would be able to hear what I was saying, along with whatever Jasper was thinking.

"Well," I paused, trying to find the words. "It's nothing. Excuse me." I trudged past, deciding I'd just walk home if I had to. Confused, Jasper gazed up towards where he'd seen me looking, and noticed Edward. Then, he realised that my truck wasn't where it usually was when I came to visit.

"Hey Bella," he called. "Need a lift?"

No way. I assumed that he was going to call Edward to take me, and that was definitely not an option that I was willing to accept right now. I shook my head politely, forcing a kind expression to appear on my face, even if he could see through it.

"I'm fine with walking."

"Don't be like that. It's pouring. C'mon, I'll take you." Well, in that case, it would've been idiotic of me to refuse the offer.

"Alright." I walked back towards him, and we made our way to his car.

He drove slowly, which was unlike how the Cullens usually did. It was a silent journey. He clearly knew that I was upset. You didn't need Jasper's special abilities to be able to read that emotion from me. However, he respectfully didn't make any comments, during my quiet recovery. Calmness washed over me. I could tell it was his doing, but I didn't mind that he was manipulating how I felt. I actually appreciated it.

Soon, we were at my house, yet I wasn't aware of it. I'd been too deep in thought. I was woken back to reality when he stepped out and opened the door for me.

"Thanks, Jasper," I smiled. A real smile. Not a fake one. I genuinely smiled up at him. His small gesture had made me feel much better.

"It's no problem," he replied, returning the pleased expression. He was surprised with my change in emotion. Although he'd made me calmer on purpose, he hadn't tried making me happier. He knew that I didn't want to have happiness forced upon me.

The weather still hadn't lightened, so I quickly asked, "Would you like to come inside for a while?"

"I better head back. Thank you for the offer." His response was immediate, and I'd expected it from him.

"It's the least that I can do. Please, come in. Charlie's not home yet." Sensing that I was serious, he hesitated.

"If you insist," he agreed, smiling. I'd barely ever seen him smile. This made me grin, as we rushed into the house, escaping the hazardous storm. I entered my kitchen, with him following behind, and I washed my face. The disgusting makeup on my face was tar dripping from my eyes.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" I asked, as he sat on a stool.

"I think you're forgetting who I am," he smirked. Who he is? Well. He was Jasper. Edward's brother. One of the members of the Cullen family... Oh my God. Realisation smacked me in the face, making my eyes widen.

"Sorry. That was a seriously stupid question. Just remembered you're a vampire." He laughed it off, leaving me feeling a bit foolish.

I noticed his hair. Honey. His hair reminded me of honey. Although he generally had quite a cold personality, his hair appeared to be a warm colour. Warm and dripping. Oops. I'd forgotten about the rain.

"I'll get a towel." When I returned with the fluffy fabric in hand, I passed it to him. Looking amused, he dried his hair.

"Are you forgetting something?"

"Huh?" Before I could even think about it, he'd disappeared from my sight. "Jasper?"

"Boo," a voice from behind surprised me. As I turned, he plopped the towel onto my head, hiding my vision.

"Oh, yeah," I laughed. I'd forgotten to dry myself. My memory sure was poor recently.

For a while, we sat in the kitchen. Somehow, we ended up talking on and on about all sorts. It turned out, Jasper and I actually had a lot in common. For instance, we both had an interest in reading and listening to music, preferring to keep to ourselves. Jasper and I were both introverts. Although, whilst I enjoyed cooking, he liked to eat. I, again, made the mistake to offer him to try out my cooking one day. This time, we both ended up cracking up in laughter, knowing that he wasn't able to eat normal meals. How could I have forgotten so quickly?

The point is, we were comfortable together. All we did was talk. Whilst we both were so interested in our own conversation, we lost track of the minutes. They stretched, and we found that we'd been together for nearly three hours now.

"So," he trailed, taking advantage of my better mood. "Do you want to talk about why you're so angry with Edward?"

"Well..." I tried to find the right way of saying it. I felt like I could tell Jasper anything. In the past, we were always so awkward, but it seemed that we'd overcome this invisible barrier between us. I could see us becoming friends. Did I really want to tell him about this though? My sex life was private. Well, there wasn't exactly much to share anyway, since Edward continually refused to do _anything._

"You're embarrassed," he stated, cocking his head to the side. I felt my cheeks redden in shame. Anger began boiling up in the pit of my stomach again, remembering how Edward had rejected me yet another time. The thing is, I've never been exactly great with my emotions. I often get very confused with how to express my feelings, particularly when I'm cross. As a result, I often end up crying when all I want to do is shout. As I became more irritated, I felt my eyes welling up for the second time today. These unwanted tears would frustrate me further, creating even more tears. Seriously, how am I supposed to deal with that?

"Are there ever any times when Alice has really wanted something from you, but you wouldn't give it to her?" I carefully tried to phrase my words, attempting to get Edward out of my mind. Jasper thought about it for a few moments.

"No. Not that I recall. So, Edward's not giving you something?"

"I guess you could put it like that," I chuckled drily.

"We are all quite wealthy, so I can't really imagine something that he wouldn't give to - Wait!" He studied my face. "Could you possibly mean...?" My sight shied away, towards my toes.

"Yeah." He didn't say anything, and I was worried that he'd think I was being selfish. I glanced up at him through my blurred eyelashes, and was shocked at what I saw. He was grinning, attempting to stifle his laughs. When he saw me looking at him, guffaws exploded from his mouth, echoing across the house.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he wheezed, recovering. "It's just, isn't it meant to be the other way round? Edward should be the one that wants it. Not you."

"Yeah, yeah. I know!" I pouted in mock annoyance. I was quite relieved with his reaction though. It was better than him thinking I was some spoilt brat.

"Anyways, I better head back now," he said, his amusement slowly dying down. "I can't believe it's already getting dark. Thanks for inviting me in." I found that I'd actually enjoyed being with Jasper. He was usually so quiet in the short times that I've been in his presence. Hopefully, I would get to know him more. I liked being with him today; I almost didn't want him to leave.

"Anytime."

"Bella."

"Yeah?"

"Don't keep Edward waiting too long. Go back and see him soon. He's probably beating himself up right now over this. Put the poor guy out of his misery." Reluctantly, I promised I would. "Actually," he added, "why don't you come back now?" I knew that I had acted silly, and as much as I didn't want to, I agreed to come back.

Sighing, I replied, "Alright."

As we walked towards the door, Jasper said, "Charlie's home." He glanced at my face, seeming to frown. A few seconds later, keys rattled about in the lock, and the TV in the next room turned on. Peeking inside the living room, I saw Jasper standing inside.

"Was that you?" I asked him.

"Mhm. You'll see why."

Tired, my dad came through the door, looking exhausted.

"I'm home! What's for din - _Bells!_ Why are you crying?" Charlie rushed over, concern clear on his face. Oh crap. I'd cried again, hadn't I? Beginning to panic, I quickly wiped my face, as my mind began to ramble through different excuses to say.

"Hi Charlie," Jasper greeted, making his presence known.

"What happened to her? Was it Edward? Did he do something?" he bombarded him with questions.

"No, dad I - "

"I'm sorry. I'm the one to blame," Jasper interrupted. What? _What?_ Seriously, where was he going with this? "You see," he carried on, as if it were a normal conversation, "Alice and I came over to spend some time with Bella, and I suggested that we watch TV. We settled with The Fault In Our Stars."

"And?" Charlie impatiently rushed him.

"And I didn't know that Bella could get emotional by watching a movie."

"A movie?" he frowned, glancing at Bella. "You're upset about a movie?" Sheepishly, I nodded. He noticed then that the TV was indeed on in the living room. I never realised how sly Jasper was.

"Alright then. Man up, Bella," he joked, patting me on the shoulder. "I never knew that you were such a softie. Where's Alice?"

"She left just a few minutes ago when the movie finished," I lied, feeling like I hadn't said enough.

"We were just about to visit Edward, so that Bella could cheer up a bit." He smiled. What a skilled liar he was. So smooth.

"Ah, alright. Say hello to Alice for me. Have fun, kids." Wow. He actually believed us.

"Bye, dad!"

* * *

This time, I headed for my truck.

"Don't be a stranger," Jasper laughed. "Edward will give you a ride when you want to go back. Come in my car."

Unlike most of the times that we've usually talked, being together wasn't awkward. I guess that we had just needed to spend a bit more time together, and get to know each other more. Now, we didn't drive in silence. We had a comfortable conversation.

"So, why'd you mention Alice?" I asked.

He smiled, saying, "Your dad's emotions got a bit crazy, when he saw me. I figured he liked Alice, so it would've been fine if you were alone with Alice too."

"Mm, smart thinking," I agreed, nodding. I knew how overprotective Charlie could get. We talked on and on for ages, finding out all sorts of weird things about each other. Before we knew it, we were reaching the house. A bit of disappointment tugged at me. Obviously, Jasper sensed that.

"We should hang out more," he suggested.

Grinning at the idea, I said, "Yeah, we should." We could become friends.

And then, I was suddenly nervous. I didn't know how I would face Edward. What if he was angry with me? Maybe he didn't even want to see me now. Jasper parked the car, and within a second of our arrival, Edward was already standing next to us with a pained expression.

Okay. I could do this. I'd be fine. I began to calm down, and I knew that Jasper was helping me out.


	2. Chapter 2

_Previously:_

 _And then, I was suddenly nervous. I didn't know how I would face Edward. What if he was angry with me? Maybe he didn't even want to see me now. Jasper parked the car, and within a second of our arrival, Edward was already standing next to us with a pained expression._

 _Okay. I could do this. I'd be fine. I began to calm down, and I knew that Jasper was helping me out._

* * *

 ** _DESTINY'S CHANGE_**

 ** _CHAPTER TWO_**

 _Bella's POV_

As soon as I stepped out of the door, Edward pulled me into an embrace.

"I'm so sorry Bella. You know how I am. Please forgive me," he rambled.

"No, don't apologise," I murmured. "It's my fault. I just overreacted. I should've respected your choice. Can we just forget today please?"

"But I -" he froze, setting his gaze on Jasper and frowning. "You told him what happened." It was a statement, rather than a question. He must've read Jasper's thoughts.

"Um," Jasper scratched his neck. "I'll just go inside." With that, he was gone.

"Well?" he asked, staring at me.

"I – I had to," I tried to explain. "He knew what I was feeling."

"So you went ahead and told him that I didn't want to have sex with you?" he shot. Ouch. Harsh words.

"I didn't say it like that Edward," I sighed. Lately, I'd been feeling really tired and I wondered if it was because of Edward. The past few weeks have been nothing but arguments and then forgiving each other until we had another argument. I asked him why he was getting so upset over this.

"Because it was personal Bella! You can't just share our life."

For a moment, the thought of how much easier and simpler life was without Edward flashed through my mind. I had the idea to just end it. End it all. At first, we were like any lovesick couple, but now…? Something had changed. We weren't quite right.

As soon as the strong thought of breaking up with him popped up, I dismissed it immediately. Edward was everything to me. I loved him and I would be nothing without him. I would fall to pieces. After all, he was my destiny.

I really didn't have the energy to argue over this though. After spending a few happy hours with Jasper, I registered how miserable Edward's been making me feel. Maybe it wasn't even his fault. Maybe it wasn't even mine. However, I just couldn't be bothered right now. So, I leaned up on my toes and pecked his lips. "Sorry," I said. "It won't happen again. Honest." Perhaps he sensed how close I was to giving up because he accepted my apology and we ended up in his room with things back to normal.

Music played softly in the background. Edward lay on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, whilst I was sat curled up on a rocking chair and reading. I heard him sit up.

"A few of us are going hunting tomorrow," he said. I nodded, without looking up. He continued, "It'll be for a week. We're going quite far." When I didn't respond, he asked, "Don't you care?"

"Who's going?" I simply questioned.

"Everyone, except for Alice, Jasper and Carlisle." Well, at least I had some company, I thought.

"Bella."

"Yeah?"

"Would you look at me?" Rolling my eyes at his neediness, I closed my book and looked up. "I asked if you cared."

"About what?" I honestly had no idea what he was going on about.

"That I'll be gone for a week!" he yelled. He actually yelled. I began to get worried that the others in the house would hear, but they would hear anyway even if we were whispering. Plus, I hadn't seen or heard anybody else in the house, except for Jasper. Everybody else must've been out, so I decided not to stress over it. He's heard enough already.

"Edward," I began, but he broke me off.

"You always used to get upset if I went away, even if it was just for a weekend. Why don't you mind anymore?"

"What? Do you want me to cry every time you leave? Should I bawl my eyes out and beg for you not to go?" I snapped. He's always trying to start something. Why couldn't we just be normal?

"I…" he paused, trying to figure out his words. The look of hurt on his face made me feel guilty about what I'd said, but I wouldn't take it back. "It just would be nice to see a bit of emotion," he mumbled.

I huffed before explaining, "It's not that I won't miss you. I always miss you when you go, but I've just sort of gotten used to it, you know? I can't depend on you to be by my side every moment of every day and that's alright. I shouldn't have to. Sure, I used to always want you by my side, but…" I trailed off and suddenly I was at a loss for words. I didn't know how to say it. "Maybe…"

"What is it, Bells?" his voice softened, as his expression became increasingly worried.

"I…"

"Sweetheart?"

"Maybe we should take a break." Despite what I was saying, I felt surprisingly calm. It felt like the right thing to say, even though I had a feeling I might regret it. I mean, of course I would regret it. Last time when Edward disappeared, I was left so broken. I could barely function. So why was I voluntarily saying this now? I wasn't even thinking properly; I'd just blurted it out.

His eyes began watering and I looked away.

"You don't want to be with me anymore," he whispered. I was going to deny this and say that we should only be apart for a little while and that some time would make things better, but I changed my mind.

"No, I don't," I replied grimly instead. I noticed his fists were clenched and he took a deep, shaky breath. It actually scared me a little how chilled I was being about this. I always expected it to be the other way around.

"Please don't say that," his voice cracked. "I love you. I love you so much. You love me too, don't you?"

"I did love you Edward… And I still do, but it's different now. You must have felt it. The distance between us. The constant fights. I think I love you more as a friend now. The way I love, like, Alice."

"It's about the sex, isn't it?" he asked, surprising me.

"No, it's not about -"

"Fine, I'll do it. If that's what will keep you with me," he said, standing up. I wondered if he was serious, as he approached me.

"Edward, it's not about that," I tried to explain, but he silenced me with his lips on mine. No. I didn't want this. This wasn't right. "Stop it," I attempted to get him to loosen his hold on me, but he just became rougher. I didn't have the strength to push him away.

"I'm doing this for you, darling," he said, picking me up and placing me on my back on his bed. I couldn't escape; he had a firm grip on my arms as he pinned me down. The strong pressure he had on me made my body throb in pain.

"Please stop," I begged, closing my eyes. I'd never seen Edward like this. I didn't want to. His eyes had darkened and he had an unrecognizable expression on his face. I was scared. For the first time in my life, I was truly scared of Edward. I felt my cheeks dampen and knew that I was crying. Despite this, Edward still continued on, ripping off my shirt.

This wasn't him. What had happened? Just as I began to feel Edward's nails digging into my skin, all of the pressure was suddenly lifted. I was still in pain, but not as much as before. I heard a crash and forced myself to open my eyes. I found Jasper pinning Edward to the wall on the other side of the room, his hands around his neck.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" Jasper hissed. Edward just looked at me in horror. He didn't struggle with Jasper. He simply looked at me. After a few moments, Jasper let go of him. When Edward tried to take a step towards me, I flinched and Jasper pulled Edward back.

"Bella, I..."

"Don't," I said, closing my eyes for a few seconds and taking in a shaky breath. I didn't want him here. I couldn't believe that he was the man I loved. I didn't want him to be anywhere near me.

"But..."

"Go," I whispered. "Just go."

* * *

 _Jasper's POV_

I had left Edward and Bella to figure things out. I noticed that they've been having a lot of disagreements lately. Tension has been thick.

I was sat in my room trying to read, but I couldn't concentrate. I kept on thinking about Bella. It's just that all this time I've been trying to avoid her out of fear that I might not be able to hold back from attacking her. And now, after spending quite a bit of time with her today, I've found that I could control myself. After a while, I even forgot that she was human. To be honest, if things stayed like this, I actually would quite like to be close friends.

That would be strange. Friends with a human. Well, she wasn't exactly normal anyway. As long as I could learn to constantly control my thirst in the way that Carlisle has, there would be nothing stopping me. But can I trust myself yet? Probably not. I mean, others still don't trust me to be alone with Bella. Even when I'd driven Bella back from her house, I could sense Edward's fear and relief because of the risk of her being alone with me. That's fair enough.

I sighed, closing my book. I just couldn't concentrate. There was nothing else to do though. Nobody else was home now but Edward, Bella and I. Esme, Rosalie and Alice had gone out shopping. Carlisle was at work and Emmett was out being Emmett.

My thoughts ended up trailing back to Bella. How could Edward actually resist her? I mean, I'll even admit that I certainly wouldn't be able to if I was with her.

Usually I tune out my strong senses and my gift so that I'm not constantly being bothered but suddenly I was distracted by a feeling. Fear. Pure fear. It wasn't often that I felt somebody so petrified.

I didn't exactly need to listen hard to hear Bella firmly say, "Stop it."

Then, from Edward, "I'm doing this for you darling." Okay... That's worrying. No. It's not my business. I shouldn't get involved. Besides, I've known Edward for a long time and he most definitely loves Bella. He wouldn't intentionally do something to upset her without a just cause. I tried to block them back out again but their emotions were so strong together. Lust, anger and betrayal radiated from Edward. With Bella was a strong sense of trepidation. The both of them revealed a desperation.

 _Ignore it. Ignore it._

But how could I ignore what she said next?

"Please stop," she whimpered. And this time, I could truly imagine how fragile and hopeless she was at that moment. I couldn't even help myself when I immediately ran to Edward's room and then momentarily stood at the door in shock.

There was Edward, a hungry look in his eyes, as he pinned a shirtless, tear stained Bella to the bed. Without hesitation, I'd grabbed Edward by the throat and slammed him against the wall as far away from her as possible. I couldn't even comprehend what was going on, but I had suddenly felt the need to protect Bella. Is this what friendship did to you? And what had happened with Edward? He loved her... And I thought he wanted to wait. Why would he...?

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded. He didn't even look at me. Instead, his gaze went right past me to Bella who stared back, looking traumatized and full of disbelief. My grip on him tightened. I waited for an explanation, but didn't receive one. I waited for a while and sensed that Edward had calmed down enough to not try anything so I let him go. Once he'd realised what he'd done, a new wave of emotions flooded through.

Shock. Guilt. Shame. Sadness. Disappointment.

He tried walking towards her, but when I saw her eyes widen, body shake and her fear increase again, I grabbed Edward's shoulder to stop him. There was a silence, but finally he was able to bring a few words out.

"Bella, I..."

"Don't." Her tone of voice actually frightened me.

"But..."

"Go," she managed to get out. "Just go."

He tried to say something else, but I squeezed his shoulder to get his attention. He turned to me and we locked eyes. He knew I wanted him to read my thoughts.

 _Leave now. Call the others. Go hunting today instead as soon as possible._

He froze, contemplating what I said, whilst looking back and forth from Bella and I. Eventually, he nodded and was gone. I listened until I knew he wasn't nearby anymore.

I looked back at Bella and saw her still sat there, tears streaming like rivers down her face. I walked over and sat next to her, awkwardly trying to figure out what to say. Before I could, she wrapped her arms around my torso, burying her face in my chest, letting out all of her sobs. Hesitating at first, I eventually pulled her closer into my arms and stroked her hair, ignoring her alluring scent.

"It's okay," I murmured. "You're okay." It actually felt quite nice, holding her like this. She was so warm. I hadn't held someone like this in such a long time. It was strange. Alice and I were never like that. After a while, she shifted out of my grasp.

"Thank you Jasper," she smiled weakly, still shaken up. "And I'm sorry for all of this."

"No, it's fine," I assured her. Then she shuffled a little and I noticed she suddenly became embarrassed. I followed her gaze to the ground where her torn shirt was. I picked it up, finding that she only had her bra on. She looked a bit uncomfortable with her arms crossed over her chest. I was going to give her shirt back to her, but it was so shredded that it wasn't even wearable. I clenched my fists, noticing how violent Edward had been.

I began taking off my own shirt.

"What are you doing?" she asked, frowning when I plopped my shirt on top of her head.

"Looked like you needed a new one," I explained. She giggled a little and gratefully pulled it on.

"Thank you," she said, smiling. Despite what had just happened, she seemed so much happier now. Not just seemed, but actually was. I could sense that she was happier. It was strange how pure of an emotion she felt. My gift often felt like a curse when I had to put up with all of the negative feelings around me. However, at moments like this, it felt so good to feel such a pure emotion. It made me grin. "What about you?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Your shirt."

"Oh, I'll just grab another one from my room now. Come with me?" I asked. I didn't want her to be alone. She nodded, but when she stood up, she fell back down. "What's wrong?" I asked. She didn't say anything; she didn't need to. I looked down and saw a dark bruise forming around her ankle. I mentally cursed Edward before picking her up bridal style and carrying her to my room. I popped her onto my bed before getting down on one knee and checking her ankle. That really would become a nasty bruise. I looked up at her and her eyes seemed sad. I raised an eyebrow in question.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked quietly. I cocked my head to the side, thinking for a moment.

"...Because we're friends," I decided to say. She laughed in response.

"Well I'm glad to have you as a friend." Her sincerity really was a pleasant contrast to the usual lies I hear. I began regretting all this time previously where I've never bothered to get to know her. At least now we can get close. Just as I was thinking, I realised that various parts of her whole body were beginning to form bruises.

"Shit, Bella," I muttered, tracing my fingers over a bruise on her collarbone. She blushed. "Why didn't you call for help?"

"I don't know really."

"I'm sorry for not getting to you sooner," I said. She shook her head to show that it wasn't my fault. "Wait here," I told her before dashing downstairs and back with a few ice packs. She flinched but thanked me when I placed them on various parts of her body. Edward seriously was so rough with her.

"Jasper... Are you not gonna put a shirt on?" she smirked. I chuckled, only just becoming aware of my lack of clothing.

"Oh, please. You're secretly enjoying the show," I said and winked cheekily as a joke. This set her off into a huge fit of giggles, as I grabbed something from my wardrobe. It was kind of scary how casual we were able to act. I already felt so much closer to her and she was completely comfortable. I never usually acted like this - Not even with Alice. As I contemplated this unusual situation and continued joking with Bella, a ringing interrupted us. I looked down at my phone.

 _Alice._


End file.
